End of legislative session could be grueling effort

SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois senators return from a two-week spring break this week, joining their House counterparts in a month-long push to finish work by the scheduled May 31 adjournment date.

DOUG FINKE

SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois senators return from a two-week spring break this week, joining their House counterparts in a month-long push to finish work by the scheduled May 31 adjournment date.

It could be a grueling effort.

Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, and House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, have scheduled the House and Senate to be in session 25 of the next 31 days, including Saturdays and Sundays in the last half of the month.

Although General Assembly schedules frequently change, it is an indication of the workload still facing lawmakers.

Here's a recap of some of the major and controversial issues facing legislators as they begin the sprint to the end.

Budget

In most recent years, a handful of negotiators worked out a new budget behind closed doors and presented it to rank-and-file lawmakers at the last minute.

This year, however, budget-making power has been handed over to appropriations committees in each chamber. House and Senate committees are supposed to start voting next week on detailed budget bills that are expected to contain painful program cuts.

But the process will be contentious because everyone is working off a different set of numbers.

Gov. Pat Quinn’s budget proposed to spend $35.2 billion on general state services, but it assumed some revenue increases that lawmakers have not approved.

The Senate is using revenue estimates prepared by the bipartisan Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, which says the state can expect to collect about $34.3 billion in taxes next year.

The House, however, is using only $33.1 billion as its revenue estimate.

"Everyone is adhering to those numbers," said Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley, a House budget expert. "The process has gone really well between (Democrats and Republicans)."

It is possible the chambers will pass competing budget plans and have to negotiate their differences. A final spending plan still might not be approved until the last minute.

However, Democrats will have incentive to approve a budget before June 1. After that, it will take Republican votes in both chambers to pass a spending plan.

Education reform

The Senate approved a reform package that would change tenure rules, streamline dismissals of incompetent teachers and madk teacher performance a factor in layoff decisions.

When the bill was sent to the House, some members immediately said they expected changes to be made to the bill. So far, those changes haven't surfaced.

"It's clear they are really looking at this," said Jessica Handy of Stand for Children, a proponent of education reforms. "We've gotten extremely detailed questions."

Minor House changes shouldn't be a problem. But if the House tries to make major changes that aren't acceptable to the Senate, the whole package could die.

The General Assembly previously approved changes in public employee pensions that applied only to newly hired workers.

This year the focus is on changing pension benefits for workers already on the payroll. A plan introduced by House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, would require current employees to make a choice: Stay in the current plan and pay more, accept the changes imposed on new hires, or drop participation in the current plan in favor of a 401k-style retirement plan.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, D-Orland Park, is among lawmakers working on a pension bill that would follow Cross' outline.

"It will be a tough vote,” he said. “We are trying to draft it to be constitutional."

He said the state cannot afford to keep the present pension plan unchanged.

"We wouldn't be able to educate people. We wouldn't be able to keep our roads safe," he said

Cullerton thinks it is unconstitutional to change pension benefits for current employees.

"It will never become law,” he said.

Lawmakers may also be asked to consider imposing premiums on health insurance available to state retirees.

Sen. Jeff Schoenberg, D-Evanston, said his target is workers who retire from the state before age 65, when they become eligible for Medicare. Now, people who retire with 20 or more years of state service can receive health coverage without paying premiums for it.

Workers’ compensation

Illinois has one of the costliest workers' compensation systems in the country, and businesses contend those costs are killing jobs and economic development.

Republican lawmakers insist the state must do something to rein in those costs this year. Cullerton agrees, but finding a solution has proved elusive. Business, labor unions, the medical industry and lawyers all have a stake in the system and their interests clash.

Cullerton spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon said late last week that work is continuing.

Cullerton believes workers' comp reforms are “the most important cost control issue that we will address this session," she said. "He is confident that a bill will be filed soon."

Electricity

The House has held several hearings on a proposal that would give utilities incentives to upgrade their infrastructure. McCarthy said a final version could be ready by the end of the week.

Commonwealth Edison and other supporters of the legislation say it would improve reliability, save consumers money and put people to work on utility infrastructure.

Opponents, including the Citizens Utility Board, Attorney General Lisa Madigan and the AARP, contend the bill will lead to automatic rate increases by utilities.

Gambling

Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan, last year was the architect of a plan to create five new casinos, allow riverboats to expand and bring slot machines to horse racing tracks. That measure died in the House, but Link is working on a new version.

In the House, Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, also is working on a bill that would allow slot machines at tracks and permit existing casinos to expand.

"Perhaps there will be some new casinos," Lang said. "I'm still working on what combination or permutation."

The state's existing riverboats oppose any new casinos.

Doug Finke can be reached at (217) 788-1527.

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